That the latter said, "Who has change?" Talha said, "I (will have change) when our storekeeper comes from the forest." Malik bin Aus narrated from `Umar bin Al-Khattab: Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "The bartering of gold for gold is Riba (usury), except if it is from hand to hand and equal in amount, and wheat grain for wheat grain is usury except if it is form hand to hand and equal in amount, and dates for dates is usury except if it is from hand to hand and equal in amount, and barley for barley is usury except if it is from hand to hand and equal in amount."
The Prohibition of Riba in Sales and Trade
This narration from Sahih al-Bukhari 2134 establishes the fundamental Islamic ruling regarding riba al-fadl (excess usury) in specific commodities. The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) explicitly forbade the exchange of gold for gold, silver for silver, wheat for wheat, barley for barley, dates for dates, and salt for salt unless two conditions are met: the exchange must be equal in quantity and occur hand-to-hand (spot transaction).
Conditions for Permissible Exchange
The hadith specifies two essential conditions: immediate possession (from hand to hand) and exact equality in measure. Any delay in exchange or inequality in quantity constitutes riba, which is strictly prohibited in Islam. This ruling applies to commodities used as currency (gold and silver) and staple food items.
Scholars classify these six commodities into two categories: monetary standards (gold and silver) and food staples (wheat, barley, dates, salt). The wisdom behind this prohibition is to prevent exploitation and ensure fairness in commercial transactions, particularly in essential goods.
Practical Application and Exceptions
When exchanging different types of commodities (such as gold for wheat), the requirement for equal measure does not apply, but the condition of hand-to-hand exchange remains mandatory. This ruling forms the basis for modern Islamic finance principles regarding currency exchange and commodity trading.
The initial mention of Talha seeking change demonstrates a practical commercial scenario where Muslims must ensure their transactions comply with these divinely revealed guidelines, avoiding any form of usurious practice in their business dealings.